Prolonged or excessive exposure to stress is known as:

Prolonged or excessive exposure to stress is known as:

• A. Acute stress
• B. Chronic stress
• C. Posttraumatic stress
• D. Cumulative stress

Answer: (C)

Chronic stress is the state you get when the body's stress response stays activated because stressors persist for a long time without adequate recovery. When this happens, the body repeatedly releases stress hormones, keeps the heart rate and muscle tension elevated, and the overall burden on systems like sleep, digestion, immunity, and mood builds up over time. This ongoing activation is what people mean by prolonged or excessive exposure to stress. Acute stress is the short-term response to a specific event and ends once the event passes. Posttraumatic stress describes a disorder that can develop after a traumatic event, with lasting symptoms that go beyond the immediate stress response. Cumulative stress refers to the buildup of multiple stressors over time, which can contribute to chronic stress but isn’t the technical label for prolonged exposure itself. So, the best match for prolonged exposure to stress is chronic stress.

Chronic stress is the state you get when the body's stress response stays activated because stressors persist for a long time without adequate recovery. When this happens, the body repeatedly releases stress hormones, keeps the heart rate and muscle tension elevated, and the overall burden on systems like sleep, digestion, immunity, and mood builds up over time. This ongoing activation is what people mean by prolonged or excessive exposure to stress.

Acute stress is the short-term response to a specific event and ends once the event passes. Posttraumatic stress describes a disorder that can develop after a traumatic event, with lasting symptoms that go beyond the immediate stress response. Cumulative stress refers to the buildup of multiple stressors over time, which can contribute to chronic stress but isn’t the technical label for prolonged exposure itself. So, the best match for prolonged exposure to stress is chronic stress.